No licence till 25 if underage students caught driving

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Students driving two-wheelers to school, which is a common occurrence in the city, have now been warned by the Transport Department that if caught, they will not be able to get a driver’s licence until they turn 25.

Chennai:

The Transport Department has communicated to the Directorate of School Education that the new Motor Vehicle Act has come out with heavy punishment for juveniles, who are below 18, if they are caught driving a two or four-wheeler.

The communique stated that if students in Tamil Nadu, who are below 18 years of age, were caught riding motorcycles or driving four-wheelers, they could not avail of a driving licence till they turned 25.

Though the new Motor Vehicles Amendment Act was recently passed in the Parliament, the Tamil Nadu government is yet to implement it fully in the State. “If booked under the Act for riding or driving vehicles with or without the consent of their parents, children will have to suffer till they are 25. Therefore, we will spread awareness and educate them about the implications”, a senior official from the Education Department said. “We are also planning to erect banners and posters in the schools about the Act that is specifically mentioned for children.”

Stating that circulars will also be issued to all school managements so they can maintain strict vigil on students who come in motorcycles or scooters to school, the official said that teachers will also be asked to conduct a special session on the new traffic rules.

“All parents-teachers associations will also be asked to educate the parents, who were not aware of the new Motor Vehicle rule during their regular meetings,” he said.

According to Section 199A of the new Motor Vehicle Act, parents or guardians shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which
may extend to three years and with a fine of Rs 25,000.